Our Dreams
by Josephine Laing
Dreams are the touchstones of our lives. They tell us who we are and who we want to be. Many of us feel that we do not dream. But this is simply not true. We all dream every night, usually six to eight dreams per night. They can last for a few seconds to a couple of hours and are always in color. Dreams are so essential to our well being that if we are severely sleep deprived, we will experience waking hallucinations. So, if we feel that we don't dream, it's more likely that we just do not know how to remember our dreams. Or, perhaps we don't really want to, thinking that they are too obtuse or strange and troublesome to bother with. And socially we've been conditioned to think that they are unimportant or even dangerous to fool with. But if we take the time to unravel the mystery of our dreams, positive results can ensue. Learning how to remember and interpret our dreams is one of the most honoring and loving things that we can do for ourselves.
Our dreams help to keep us in touch with the undercurrents of our subconscious mind. They show us the inspired directions which our higher self is nudging us toward. This is where our passion and deep desires lie. And our dreams let us know where we stand in current time. Since one of our primary spiritual directives is to "Know Thyself," the recall of our dreams can serve our personal development.
Here are a few tricks for remembering your dreams. The first is to make a positive statement to yourself right before falling asleep. I like to use, "Tonight I will remember a dream." This is better then a request like, "I want to remember a dream." because wanting something leaves us wanting it, which is a lot different then actually having it. A positive statement sets our intention and directs our subconscious mind to deliver.
The second trick is to have a dream journal and a pen or pencil close at hand. They should be somewhere within easy reach so that you can access them without moving too many muscles. Some people prefer a recording device like a tape recorder. But the recorded voice can be slurred or sleepy and thus not easily understood. So, if you choose this method, be sure to speak-up and as clearly as possible.
Next, and maybe the most important of all, is to not move any major muscle groups, like the legs and back. This can be tricky because so often the first thing that we do when we wake up is to roll over or stretch and then go to the bathroom. Instead, as you become aware that you are waking up, while you are still in that hynogogic state between sleep and wakefulness, try to stay still and give yourself a moment to catch the action of a dream. If you have already moved, simply resume your waking position and try to not think of anything else. If you can catch a single glimpse, replay it in your mind with the intention of remembering more. Focus on a color or an individual or an action and try to recall more about it. Ask yourself what else was going on, where were you just before that. See if you can follow the threads of memory back.
Another tip is to consume your liquids earlier in the day, so that the urgency to urinate first thing in the morning is diminished. Additionally alcohol and drugs can inhibit dream recall. Sleeping pills and tranquilizers are especially guilty. But I find that even sugar can upset my ability to catch a dream as it affects the kidneys and increases the need to eliminate.
Also, stimulating visual images just before bed, like a good movie that we may have seen the night before, can often begin playing in our heads first thing upon awakening and distract us from our dream recall. So if you're serious about being able to recall your dreams, go to the matinee instead and keep the evenings activities and entertainments more mild.
As with life, practice makes perfect. So practicing with daydreams or studying the subject of dreams by day shifts our focus there. Using our intention and then actually catching a snippet or a whole dream and writing it down, fuels the process and encourages more results to follow. For anyone wishing to study dreams, I like to recommend Betty Bethards insightful short book, The Dream Book, Symbols for Self-Understanding. Over half of the book is a dictionary of symbols and the opening chapters are some of the most concise and articulate spiritual material I've ever read. First published by the Inner Light Foundation in 1983, it has become a classic. And her dictionary is an easy way to begin to pull some significance and meaning from your dreams. But an ordinary dictionary will work to. Just working a dream for a little while can bring results. Some people, especially artists like to draw their dreams. Dancers dance theirs. Any method can serve and bring that delightful "Ah ha" that dreamers search for.
Some people find that meditation just before going to sleep can to clear the mind of the days events and help with dreaming and recall. Others keep the herb mugwort near their pillows as it's fragrance helps us to remember our dreams. Some like to keep amethyst crystals, a stone that helps us to develop spiritually, close to or under their beds. And, a good boundary, protecting your sleeping area from the morning interruptions of small children and pets can be invaluable to the committed dreamer.
Grab whatever fragment you can and work from there. Understanding our dream world can empower us to understand and change our waking world. Dreams have a long history of problem solving. Thomas Edison used them regularly while napping in his laboratory to help him with his discoveries. Dreams inform our psyche. They have been called "the revelations of the night." They provide us with guidance and insight and knowledge about our-self, where we are going, faults to correct. They can bring us encouragement or blessings for a new venture, deep wisdom and even foreknowing.
Melon Thomas Benedict, an extraordinary man who had a significant return form a death experience said that while he was not in his body, he traveled to many levels of consciousness beyond life. And one of the main revelations that he brought back with him was this; our earth is a relatively insignificant planet in a distant galaxy without any special note, however, there is one thing that we here on earth are renowned for throughout the universe and that is that we hold the ability to resolve our problems through our dreams. It is such a blessing to be able to explore this universally rare and wonderful gift. And working with our dreams is a great way for us to love and honor who we truly are.
© 2012 Josephine Laing
Dreams are the touchstones of our lives. They tell us who we are and who we want to be. Many of us feel that we do not dream. But this is simply not true. We all dream every night, usually six to eight dreams per night. They can last for a few seconds to a couple of hours and are always in color. Dreams are so essential to our well being that if we are severely sleep deprived, we will experience waking hallucinations. So, if we feel that we don't dream, it's more likely that we just do not know how to remember our dreams. Or, perhaps we don't really want to, thinking that they are too obtuse or strange and troublesome to bother with. And socially we've been conditioned to think that they are unimportant or even dangerous to fool with. But if we take the time to unravel the mystery of our dreams, positive results can ensue. Learning how to remember and interpret our dreams is one of the most honoring and loving things that we can do for ourselves.
Our dreams help to keep us in touch with the undercurrents of our subconscious mind. They show us the inspired directions which our higher self is nudging us toward. This is where our passion and deep desires lie. And our dreams let us know where we stand in current time. Since one of our primary spiritual directives is to "Know Thyself," the recall of our dreams can serve our personal development.
Here are a few tricks for remembering your dreams. The first is to make a positive statement to yourself right before falling asleep. I like to use, "Tonight I will remember a dream." This is better then a request like, "I want to remember a dream." because wanting something leaves us wanting it, which is a lot different then actually having it. A positive statement sets our intention and directs our subconscious mind to deliver.
The second trick is to have a dream journal and a pen or pencil close at hand. They should be somewhere within easy reach so that you can access them without moving too many muscles. Some people prefer a recording device like a tape recorder. But the recorded voice can be slurred or sleepy and thus not easily understood. So, if you choose this method, be sure to speak-up and as clearly as possible.
Next, and maybe the most important of all, is to not move any major muscle groups, like the legs and back. This can be tricky because so often the first thing that we do when we wake up is to roll over or stretch and then go to the bathroom. Instead, as you become aware that you are waking up, while you are still in that hynogogic state between sleep and wakefulness, try to stay still and give yourself a moment to catch the action of a dream. If you have already moved, simply resume your waking position and try to not think of anything else. If you can catch a single glimpse, replay it in your mind with the intention of remembering more. Focus on a color or an individual or an action and try to recall more about it. Ask yourself what else was going on, where were you just before that. See if you can follow the threads of memory back.
Another tip is to consume your liquids earlier in the day, so that the urgency to urinate first thing in the morning is diminished. Additionally alcohol and drugs can inhibit dream recall. Sleeping pills and tranquilizers are especially guilty. But I find that even sugar can upset my ability to catch a dream as it affects the kidneys and increases the need to eliminate.
Also, stimulating visual images just before bed, like a good movie that we may have seen the night before, can often begin playing in our heads first thing upon awakening and distract us from our dream recall. So if you're serious about being able to recall your dreams, go to the matinee instead and keep the evenings activities and entertainments more mild.
As with life, practice makes perfect. So practicing with daydreams or studying the subject of dreams by day shifts our focus there. Using our intention and then actually catching a snippet or a whole dream and writing it down, fuels the process and encourages more results to follow. For anyone wishing to study dreams, I like to recommend Betty Bethards insightful short book, The Dream Book, Symbols for Self-Understanding. Over half of the book is a dictionary of symbols and the opening chapters are some of the most concise and articulate spiritual material I've ever read. First published by the Inner Light Foundation in 1983, it has become a classic. And her dictionary is an easy way to begin to pull some significance and meaning from your dreams. But an ordinary dictionary will work to. Just working a dream for a little while can bring results. Some people, especially artists like to draw their dreams. Dancers dance theirs. Any method can serve and bring that delightful "Ah ha" that dreamers search for.
Some people find that meditation just before going to sleep can to clear the mind of the days events and help with dreaming and recall. Others keep the herb mugwort near their pillows as it's fragrance helps us to remember our dreams. Some like to keep amethyst crystals, a stone that helps us to develop spiritually, close to or under their beds. And, a good boundary, protecting your sleeping area from the morning interruptions of small children and pets can be invaluable to the committed dreamer.
Grab whatever fragment you can and work from there. Understanding our dream world can empower us to understand and change our waking world. Dreams have a long history of problem solving. Thomas Edison used them regularly while napping in his laboratory to help him with his discoveries. Dreams inform our psyche. They have been called "the revelations of the night." They provide us with guidance and insight and knowledge about our-self, where we are going, faults to correct. They can bring us encouragement or blessings for a new venture, deep wisdom and even foreknowing.
Melon Thomas Benedict, an extraordinary man who had a significant return form a death experience said that while he was not in his body, he traveled to many levels of consciousness beyond life. And one of the main revelations that he brought back with him was this; our earth is a relatively insignificant planet in a distant galaxy without any special note, however, there is one thing that we here on earth are renowned for throughout the universe and that is that we hold the ability to resolve our problems through our dreams. It is such a blessing to be able to explore this universally rare and wonderful gift. And working with our dreams is a great way for us to love and honor who we truly are.
© 2012 Josephine Laing